It’s Probably Best I Wasn’t Giving the Tours at the University of Virginia

The Jefferson Council Alumni Group Wouldn’t Want to Hear What I Have to Say

Smash the Iron Cage, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The University of Virginia (UVA) recently suspended a campus tour program for allegedly besmirching Thomas Jefferson, who founded the school in 1819. The Jefferson Council, an alumni group, had been calling for the tours to end for over two years.

University of Virginia suspends tours that had come under fire for mentioning Thomas Jefferson's…

Ridding the campus of the University Guide Service was a process. The Jefferson Council pushed Governor Glenn Younkin to place 13 of the 13 members they recommended on the 17-member Council. Once they had a majority, they were able to suspend the University Guide Service, which had dared mention that Jefferson owned slaves.

UVA spokesperson Bethanie Glover absolved the Council, saying they had nothing to do with the decision.

“This isn’t in direct response to any criticism from the Jefferson Council. This is more to do with the guides not showing up for their scheduled tours.” — Bethanie Glover